Cycle inhibitor for an electrical typewriter

Claim 2

In combination with a typewriter having print mechanism driven through a print cycle clutch and means for engaging said clutch for a limited period in response to depression of any of a plurality of print keys of said typewriter whereby said typewriter cycles to perform the print operation associated with a depressed one of said keys, said typewriter having a clutchcontrolling linkage which shifts in response to depression of any of said keys to initiate said engagement of said clutch, a cycle inhibitor mounted in said typewriter comprising a movable element positioned adjacent said clutch-controlling linkage and having a first position at which said linkage is free to shift to initiate engagement of said clutch and having a second position at which said movable element blocks said shifting of said clutchcontrolling linkage, an electromechanical means associated with said movable element for shifting said movable element between said positions thereof.

Claim 3

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said typewriter has function operation mechanism driven through a function cycle clutch and means for engaging said function cycle clutch for a limited period in response to depression of any of a plurality of function keys of said typewriter whereby said typewriter cycles to perform the function operation associated with a depressed one of said function keys and has an additional clutch-controlling linkage which shifts in response to depression of any of said function keys to initiate said engagement of said function clutch and has an additional element adjacent said additional clutch-controlling linkage movable to block said shifting thereof.

Claim 4

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said typewriter has a baseplate attachment with a plurality of switches mounted thereon having actuator arms which extend up into said typewriter to sense, print and function operations thereof and having circuit means coupled to said switches for generating electrical signals indicative of said operations, wherein said movable element is an arm mounted on said baseplate and extending up into said typewriter to said clutch-engaging linkage and wherein said electromechanical means for shifting said movable element between said positions thereof is a solenoid mounted on said baseplate and having an armature coupled to said arm.

Claim 5

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said typewriter has a switch producing a cycling signal at each cycle of said typewriter, further comprising circuit means connected between said cycling signal switch and said means for shifting said movable element for actuating said movable element shifting means to shift said movable element to said second position thereof for a predetermined interval after each cycling signal.

Claim 6

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said typewriter has means for generating electrical signals indicative of typewriter operations and means for transmitting said signals to a location remote from the typewriter and has a buffer storage connected between said signal-generating means and said transmitting means for temporarily storing said signals for transmission at a rate which is slower than the rate at which said typewriter may generate said signals, wherein said means for shifting said movable element between said positions thereof has a control switch connected to said buffer storage and operated thereby to shift said movable element to said second position thereof in response to filling of said buffer storage.

Claim 7

The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said typewriter has means for receiving electrical signals from a remote source and means for operating elements of said typewriter in response to said signals and has a buffer storage connected between said receiving means and said operating means for temporarily storing signals received during the carriage return period of said typewriter for release thereto in the intervals between said carriage return periods, wherein said means for shifting said movable element between said positions thereof has a control switch connected to said buffer storage and operated thereby to hold said movable element at said second position thereof during said carriage return periods.

Claim 8

In a baseplate attachable to a typewriter to adapt said typewriter for transmitting groups of electrical signals indicative of print and function operations at the typewriter, said typewriter having a print cycle clutch and a function cycle clutch which are engaged by depression of print keys and function keys respectively to transmit drive to the print and function means respectively of the typewriter, the further combination comprising: a print cycle inhibitor secured to said baseplate and having a first solenoid with a first armature which is shiftable between two positions and having an arm coupled to said armature and extending from said baseplate for blocking engagement of said print cycle clutch when said armature is shifted to a first of said positions thereof, and a function cycle inhibitor secured to said baseplate and having a second solenoid with a second armature which is shiftable between two positions and having a second arm coupled to said second armature and extending from said baseplate for blocking engagement of said function cycle clutch when said second armature is shifted to a first of said positions thereof.

Claim 9

In a baseplate attachable to a typewriter to adapt said typewriter for transmitting groups of electrical signals indicative of print and function operations at the typewriter, said typewriter having a print cycle clutch and a function cycle clutch which are engaged by depression of print keys and function keys respectively to transmit drive to the print and function means respectively of the typewriter, the further combination comprising: a print cycle inhibitor secured to said baseplate and having a first solenoid with a first armature which is shiftable between two positions and having an arm coupled to said armature and extending from said baseplate for blocking engagement of said print cycle clutch when said armature is shifted to a first of said positions thereof, and a function cycle inhibitor secured to said baseplate and having a second solenoid with a second armature which is shiftable between two positions and having a second arm coupled to said second armature and extending from said baseplate for blocking engagement of said function cycle clutch when said second armature is shifted to a first of said positions thereof.

Claim 10

The combination defined in claim 7 further comprising an electrical power supply and circuit means coupled between said power supply and each of said solenoids for actuating said solenoids to shift said each of said armatures to said first positions thereof for a predetermined interval following transmission of a group of said signals.